Don’t Let Sleep Apnea Ruin Your Vacation

You’ve got a big trip planned for this summer with your family. You’ve been looking forward to it for months, and you’ve got all the supplies you will need.

Or do you?

Sleep apnea can make any trip feel like you are “roughing it” — and not just for you. When left untreated, sleep apnea can prevent you from getting the sleep that you need. The loud, constant snoring that comes with sleep apnea may keep your family from sleeping well, too.

When no one on the trip had a good night’s sleep, that can lead to some easily irritated individuals. If you come to Galleria of Smiles, we may be able to help you sleep better and snore less, so you family can sleep better, too.

And all of you can enjoy your vacation together.

Call our dentist office in Sand Springs, OK, at (918) 245-5976 or reach us online to schedule a consultation.

 

The Effects Of Sleep Apnea

Many times in movies or television shows, snoring is used for laughs. In real life, however, it’s not always that funny, especially for other people who are trying to sleep.

The persistent snoring that comes with sleep apnea is part of a cycle that repeats throughout the night. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which people stop breathing when they fall asleep.

A typical pattern for someone with obstructive sleep apnea is something like this:

▶ You drift off to sleep.

▶ Your muscles relax and soft tissues cause your airways to become blocked.

▶ Restricting your airways makes your snoring louder.

▶ You stop snoring when your airways are blocked. You also stop breathing for time.

▶ Your body wakes you up briefly so you take a few breaths.

▶ You drift back to sleep, and the cycle starts again.

You may not have any memory of the times you wake up, but they matter more than you may realize. Each time you wake up, you are interrupting your sleep cycle. This prevents you from getting deep, restful sleep.

This can lead to sleep deprivation. The symptoms of this include frequent daytime sleepiness. This helps to explain why people with untreated sleep apnea are more than twice as likely to be involved in car accidents.

It also explains why you can wake up feeling as tired as you did when you went to bed. That can leave you feeling irritable or easily agitated in the morning.

Sleep can be difficult for people who share a bed, a room, or even a hallway with someone who has sleep apnea, too. The snoring may keep them awake, which means they also may hear someone they love stop breathing. This can be stressful as well.

 

Treating Sleep Apnea

The most common treatment for sleep apnea has been a CPAP machine. These can be effective if you use them correctly and consistently, which unfortunately is not as easy as it seems for many patients.

The CPAP pushes air through a tube into a mask that covers your nose, mouth, or both. That’s also why some people have trouble sleeping with a CPAP. The mask can be irritating. The mask can come loose. The sensation of the air pressure or the sound of the machine can make it difficult for some people to fall asleep.

Some people take off their masks without realizing they’ve done so until the morning. Other people just give up on using their CPAP, which means they aren’t really treating their condition.

So, what alternative do you have?

You can contact Galleria of Smiles. We offer a different kind of sleep apnea treatment. We can create an oral appliance, which is like a mouthguard that you wear while you are asleep.

These appliances gently change the position of your jaw. This helps to hold your airways open so you can continue breathing throughout the night.

For many of our patients, this has allowed them to remain asleep. That’s means deep sleep, which helps them wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

This also reduces snoring, which your spouse and kids may appreciate as well (especially during that upcoming vacation).

 

Would You Like To Wake Up Feeling Refreshed?

If you are tired of feeling tired, then it’s time to visit our dentist office in Sand Springs, OK.

We can arrange a take-home sleep study to determine if you have sleep apnea. If you do, then we can work on designing your oral appliance.

To get started, call 918-245-5976 or contact us online.